Little Rock, AR Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Max height, R-1 district
- 35 feet
- One-family dwelling bonus
- +10 feet with two 15-ft side yards
- Bonus-height dwellings still capped at
- 3 stories
- Public/institutional buildings allowed up to
- 75 feet, with extra yards
- Steeples and chimneys allowed up to
- twice the district height limit
- Fine per offense
- $50 to $500, misdemeanor
- Abatement window
- 7 days (24 hrs for repeat violators)
Summary
Little Rock caps residential building height at 35 feet in the R-1 single-family district under Sec. 36-253(c): no house may be erected or structurally altered above that limit, no exceptions built into the base rule. A narrow carve-out in Sec. 36-156(1)(b) lets a one-family dwelling add up to 10 feet, reaching 45 feet, only if it provides two 15-foot side yards and never exceeds three stories.
(c)Height regulations. No building hereafter erected or structurally altered shall exceed a height of thirty-five (35) feet.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 83).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 36-253(c) sets the baseline: 'No building hereafter erected or structurally altered shall exceed a height of thirty-five (35) feet' anywhere in the R-1 single-family district, a zone reserved for lots of at least 15,000 square feet. Sec. 36-156 treats R-1 as a 'thirty-five-foot height district' and carves out three narrow exceptions to that cap. Public or semipublic buildings, hospitals, sanitariums and schools may rise to 75 feet, but only if every front, side and rear yard grows by one additional foot for each foot the building exceeds 35 feet.
More relevant to homeowners, a one-family dwelling may add up to 10 feet, topping out at 45 feet, if it provides two side yards of at least 15 feet each, and even then the house may never exceed three stories. Church steeples, chimneys and similar ornamental structures may rise to twice the district's permitted height without counting against the cap. The height limit sits alongside the rest of R-1's bulk standards in the same section: a 35-foot front yard setback, 10-foot side yards (25 feet where a conditional use is approved), a 25-foot rear yard, and a 30 percent cap on lot coverage by the main building and all accessory structures, per Sec.
36-253(d) and (e). Outside the Sec. 36-156 exceptions, a homeowner who wants to exceed 35 feet has no administrative waiver and must apply for a variance before the Board of Zoning Adjustment.
Violations & Fines
Height violations are zoning violations under Sec. 36-4: each is a misdemeanor, and each day the excess height remains is a separate offense, punishable by a fine of $50 to $500 (continuing violations cap at $250 per day). The enforcing officer issues a written order citing the violated section; the property owner then has 7 days to correct the height or appeal to the Board of Zoning Adjustment, shortened to 24 hours if the same owner was cited in the previous 12 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build a 40-foot house in Little Rock's R-1 district?
Does the 35-foot limit apply to church buildings and schools?
What about steeples and chimneys taller than 35 feet?
What happens if I build over the height limit without an exception?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Little Rock
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